'I was stuck in Eurostar hell and saw nothing more than a bottle of water being offered by staff'
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A man aboard a Eurostar train that became stuck in a tunnel for nearly three hours says passengers were offered "nothing more than a bottle of water" by staff. Around 800 passengers were left in limbo in a tunnel on route between London and Paris, before being evacuated to Calais to wait for a replacement train. The lengthy delay happened on one of the most busy days of the year as people undertook widespread travel following the festive period. The train had been due to arrive at Paris Gare du Nord at about 9:20am local time but it broke down in the Channel Tunnel during the journey.
A message sent to passengers from Eurostar at 8:26am said: "Important info about your Eurostar trip on 27/12/2024 (ref JTQ7H2): Your train 9080 is delayed. It will arrive at Paris Gare du Nord at 09:50. Sorry for the inconvenience.". Passengers were left waiting at Calais for a replacement train, meaning they would be an estimated 5 hours late to their final destination, according to travel journalist Simon Calder. The expert also said the incident will have a knock-on effect on other Eurostar trains throughout the day, which are said to be delayed anywhere between 30 to 70 minutes.
A Eurostar spokesperson told The Mirror: "The 06:01am Eurostar service from London to Paris experienced a technical issue this morning while travelling through the Channel Tunnel. Once safety investigations were completed, the train ran at reduced speed to Calais where customers were transferred to another Eurostar train, and are now continuing their journey to Paris.
